Ingredion’s PureCircle achieves Farm Sustainability Assessment Silver Performance Level for Stevia Supply
The FSA was developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) and is now used in 32 countries to assess on-farm sustainability levels and benchmark existing standards.
USA – Ingredion, a global ingredient solutions provider, has announced achieving the first, and only, Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) Silver performance level for 100% of its stevia supply chain by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI).
PureCircle by Ingredion specialises in stevia-based solutions, offering a range of plant-based sweeteners and flavour modifiers. Their products are designed to help reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners in foods and beverages while maintaining a clean, sweet taste.
The company expressed its commitment to producing sustainable ingredients that align with evolving consumer preferences for environmentally conscious choices. Ingredion emphasised its dedication to supporting healthier outcomes and aiding food and beverage brands in meeting their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) objectives.
Nate Yates, CEO of PureCircle Ingredion, said, “PureCircle by Ingredion continues to set the industry standard with 100% contracted farmers, ensuring transparency about our growers, their working conditions, the types of stevia plants they cultivate, and their farming methods, building enhanced trust and confidence in our supply chain.”
The FSA was developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) and is now used in 32 countries to assess on-farm sustainability levels and benchmark existing standards.
The assessment is part of the SAI Platform to ensure the efficient production of safe, high quality agricultural products through efforts including regenerative agriculture, customer impact measurement and more.
The assessment consists of 109 questions that cover ten sustainability topic areas, including soil management, biodiversity and labour conditions. Assessment questions progress in difficulty and are linked to the performance levels of: not yet bronze, bronze, silver and gold.
PureCircle by Ingredion first participated in the Farm Sustainability Assessment in 2016. In 2022, 100% of crops met the FSA definition of sustainably sourced, with 95% at the silver level and the remaining at the bronze level.
External verification was added in 2023, and since then, Ingredion has continued to make substantial strides in developing innovative solutions that positively impact people and the environment.
Brian Nash, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability at Ingredion, said, “Our customers and their consumers prioritise quality when making food choices and value transparency, especially about sustainable sourcing practices.
“Achieving FSA Silver level is part of a larger effort from Ingredion that includes regenerative agriculture, measuring customer impact, and leveraging our partnership with How Good to better meet our customers’ sustainable sourcing requirements.”
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